Low profile product extractor for thermoformed products

Abstract

A pressware extractor assembly includes an elongated transport rail, a first car, a second car, and a powered drive mechanism. The first car includes a first car frame and a plurality of extractor elements operable to releasably hold respective products. The second car is slidably supported by the transport rail to slide laterally relative to the transport rail along the lateral rail axis, with the first car being supported to slide laterally with the second car. The powered drive mechanism shiftably supports the first car relative to the second car for vertical movement of the extractor elements relative to the mold assembly. The powered drive mechanism is configured to shift the first car between a lowered position, and a raised position, in which the products are lifted by the extractor elements.

Having thus described various embodiments of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following: 
     
         1 . A method of moving thermoformed products from a mold assembly, said method comprising the steps of:
 (a) using a powered drive mechanism to lower a first car relative to a second car so that extractor elements of the first car are lowered into engagement with thermoformed products held by the mold assembly;   (b) using the powered drive mechanism to raise the first car relative to the second car so that the extractor elements are raised so that the thermoformed products are lifted by the extractor elements out of engagement with the mold assembly; and   (c) shifting at least one of the first car and the second car laterally to move the thermoformed products away from the mold assembly,   wherein said extractor elements comprising vacuum cups that fluidly communicate with a vacuum source and releasably engage the thermoformed products, and during step (b), engaging the vacuum source so that the vacuum cups releasably hold respective thermoformed products.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 (d) after step (b), disengaging the vacuum source to release the thermoformed products from the vacuum cups.   
     
     
         3 . A method of moving thermoformed products from a mold assembly, said method comprising the steps of:
 shifting, via a powered drive mechanism, a first car frame in a downward direction so that a plurality of extractor elements connected to the first car frame releasably engage respective products held by the mold assembly;   shifting, via the powered drive mechanism, the first car in an upward direction so that the plurality of extractor elements connected to the first car frame to lift the respective products out of engagement with the mold assembly; and   shifting, via a lateral drive mechanism, a second car along an elongated transport rail that extends along and defines a lateral rail axis, the first car and the powered drive mechanism being supported to shift laterally with the second car to move the products away from the mold assembly.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 ,
 said powered drive mechanism including a linkage that drivingly interconnects the first and second cars to facilitate vertical movement of the first car relative to the second car.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 ,
 said powered drive mechanism including a motor drivingly engaged with the linkage to power the linkage and the first car between a lowered position and a raised position.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 ,
 said linkage including a rotatable driven shaft and a rocker arm mounted on the driven shaft to rotate therewith,   said motor including a drive shaft attached relative to the driven shaft so that rotation of the drive shaft causes corresponding rotation of the driven shaft,   said rocker arm drivingly attached relative to the first car so that rotation of the driven shaft and the rocker arm produces corresponding vertical movement of the first car relative to the second car.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 ,
 said linkage including a follower link pivotally attached to the rocker arm and the first car.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 ,
 one of said first and second cars including an upright slide rail, and the other one of said first and second cars including a bearing slidably engaged with the upright slide rail, with the slide rail and bearing cooperatively permitting relative vertical movement and restricting relative lateral movement between the first and second cars.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 3 ,
 said transport rail comprising opposed transport rails that extend generally parallel to one another, with the first car extending between the opposed transport rails.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 ,
 said powered drive mechanism including opposed linkages located adjacent to respective transport rails,   said linkages drivingly interconnecting the first and second cars to facilitate vertical movement of the first car relative to the second car.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 ,
 said powered drive mechanism including motors drivingly engaged with respective ones of the linkages to power the linkages and cooperatively drive the first car between a lowered position and a raised position.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 ,
 each of said linkages including a rotatable driven shaft and a rocker arm mounted on the driven shaft to rotate therewith,   each of said motors including a drive shaft attached relative to the respective driven shaft so that rotation of each drive shaft causes corresponding rotation of the respective driven shaft,   each of said rocker arms drivingly attached relative to the first car so that rotation of the driven shafts and the rocker arms produces corresponding vertical movement of the first car relative to the second car.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 3 ,
 said second car including a second car frame that supports the powered drive mechanism, with the first car being nested relative to the second car in at least one of the raised and lowered positions.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 3 ,
 said extractor elements comprising vacuum cups that fluidly communicate with a vacuum source.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising releasing the products from the extractor elements. 
     
     
         16 . A method of thermoforming products, the method comprising the steps of:
 positioning, via one or more roller assemblies, a web material between molds;   pressing, via an actuator, the web between the molds to form the products in the web;   removing, via one or more punches, the products from the web;   using a powered drive mechanism to lower a first car relative to a second car so that extractor elements of the first car are lowered into engagement with the products removed from the web;   using the powered drive mechanism to raise the first car relative to the second car so that the extractor elements are raised so that the products are lifted by the extractor elements; and   shifting at least one of the first car and the second car laterally to move the products away from the molds,   wherein said powered drive mechanism includes:
 a linkage that drivingly interconnects the first and second cars to facilitate vertical movement of the first car relative to the second car, and 
 a motor drivingly engaged with the linkage to power the linkage and shift the first car between a lowered position, in which the extractor elements are positioned to engage products held by the molds, and a raised position, in which the products are lifted by the extractor elements out of engagement with the molds. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 ,
 said linkage including a rotatable driven shaft and a rocker arm mounted on the driven shaft to rotate therewith,   said motor including a drive shaft attached relative to the driven shaft so that rotation of the drive shaft causes corresponding rotation of the driven shaft,   said rocker arm drivingly attached relative to the first car so that rotation of the driven shaft and the rocker arm produces corresponding vertical movement of the first car relative to the second car.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 ,
 one of said first and second cars including an upright slide rail, and the other one of said first and second cars including a bearing slidably engaged with the upright slide rail, with the slide rail and bearing cooperatively permitting relative vertical movement and restricting relative lateral movement between the first and second cars,   said second car being slidably supported by a transport rail comprising opposed transport rails that extend generally parallel to one another, with the first car extending between the opposed transport rails,   said linkage being a first linkage,   said powered drive mechanism including a second linkage that opposes the first linkage,   said first and second linkages located adjacent to respective transport rails and drivingly interconnecting the first and second cars to facilitate vertical movement of the first car relative to the second car.